This movie left me in doubt as to the intentions of the maker. You can see it as a love story against the romantic background of the Bahamas, a coming-of-age of a shy and troubled young man that struggles with his sexuality, and is helped and liberated by a more experienced and relaxed lover. But there's also a rather negative side to this movie, with some pretty harsh and heavy issues: the religious and cultural bigotry on the Bahamian islands; the abuse of women; discrimination; and gay bashing (to extreme extent).
The acting is overall fine and convincing, especially by the supporting cast. I also liked one of the two protagonists Stephen Tyrone Williams, acting very natural and having both charisma and an appealing physique (not unimportant in the story). But I had some reservations about Johhny Ferro as the other main character Johnny. Script and direction probably wanted to emphasize his supposed shyness, but as a result he appears not to act at all, he just stands about, looking vexed all of the time (even during his one love-scene) and only speaking with a monotonous almost trembling voice. Add to this his rather plain looks and skinny frame, which may give him a puppy-like cuteness, but it still impressed me as a miracle (and as totally unrealistic) that this athletic cool and relaxed Romeo should even look twice at him, let alone lust after him.
Johnny's character is supposed to undergo some sort of positive Werdegang: an evolution from neurotic and sexually insecure recluse to a more self-assured being, but the movie never gives us real proof of this. When Johnny in the end stands up in a crowded preaching-house to confront the woman who raves against homosexuals, it looks like a very brave thing to do, but the script only makes him say platitudes, like "Why don't you leave us alone?" and "He who is without sin casts the first stone". When Johnny speaks to Romeo for the last time, he just lets Romeo go on and on with excusing himself, and never confronts him with his inconsistency and hypocrisy. And when in the very end Johnny finally stands up to some of his old bashing tormentors, again he only gets to use cliché like: "you just compensate for your small dick". Not much of a catharsis there. And then this costs him dearly, which again makes you wonder what the message of the writer/director is. Feels a bit like: don't bother, you never can win.
Another disappointment to me was the presentation of the Bahama's, one of the supposed great romantic places of the world. All we get to see of the beauty of it is one scene at the beach where Romeo and Johnny snorkel together. For the rest we see endless dusty roads, little dilapidated houses, ugly beach-sides and some local bars. What a waste!
All in all an unbalanced movie with an ambiguous message (if any) and a depressing lasting impression. Oh, and rather bad PR to the Bahamas, I would say. I'm gay and love to travel to sunny shores, but this movie made me see that for gay people the Bahamas are the last place to go to for a holiday.
The acting is overall fine and convincing, especially by the supporting cast. I also liked one of the two protagonists Stephen Tyrone Williams, acting very natural and having both charisma and an appealing physique (not unimportant in the story). But I had some reservations about Johhny Ferro as the other main character Johnny. Script and direction probably wanted to emphasize his supposed shyness, but as a result he appears not to act at all, he just stands about, looking vexed all of the time (even during his one love-scene) and only speaking with a monotonous almost trembling voice. Add to this his rather plain looks and skinny frame, which may give him a puppy-like cuteness, but it still impressed me as a miracle (and as totally unrealistic) that this athletic cool and relaxed Romeo should even look twice at him, let alone lust after him.
Johnny's character is supposed to undergo some sort of positive Werdegang: an evolution from neurotic and sexually insecure recluse to a more self-assured being, but the movie never gives us real proof of this. When Johnny in the end stands up in a crowded preaching-house to confront the woman who raves against homosexuals, it looks like a very brave thing to do, but the script only makes him say platitudes, like "Why don't you leave us alone?" and "He who is without sin casts the first stone". When Johnny speaks to Romeo for the last time, he just lets Romeo go on and on with excusing himself, and never confronts him with his inconsistency and hypocrisy. And when in the very end Johnny finally stands up to some of his old bashing tormentors, again he only gets to use cliché like: "you just compensate for your small dick". Not much of a catharsis there. And then this costs him dearly, which again makes you wonder what the message of the writer/director is. Feels a bit like: don't bother, you never can win.
Another disappointment to me was the presentation of the Bahama's, one of the supposed great romantic places of the world. All we get to see of the beauty of it is one scene at the beach where Romeo and Johnny snorkel together. For the rest we see endless dusty roads, little dilapidated houses, ugly beach-sides and some local bars. What a waste!
All in all an unbalanced movie with an ambiguous message (if any) and a depressing lasting impression. Oh, and rather bad PR to the Bahamas, I would say. I'm gay and love to travel to sunny shores, but this movie made me see that for gay people the Bahamas are the last place to go to for a holiday.